My First Field Observation
My first field experience for Instructional Technology was at a public high school in Maryland. I was there for four hours and observed two classes, a science class and a math class. The resources used ranged from PowerPoint presentations to overhead projectors and the teachers I observed used them to enhance their lessons. The teachers in each of the classes I observed were able to use instructional technology in their lessons, as well as having other electronic equipment at their disposal.
The first class I observed was a ninth grade Earth Science class taught by Ms. C. She opened up the class by displaying the agenda and drill on a MS PowerPoint slide. After the drill, the class took a quiz while the teacher set up the next lesson. Ms. C. gave the lecture about the red and blue shift in astronomy using the overhead to help illustrate the concept of rate of change and distance. I thought this tool gave the class a strong visual aid because it allowed Ms. C. to use color and diagrams to explain red and blue shifts. The class finished with group work and individual work on personal science projects. Although they were not used when I was there, six I-MAC computer stations were available to the students. Ms. C. told me that she uses the computers for labs and some lessons involving research. However, despite showing me some very useful websites for class, she informed me that the school had a bad Internet connection and thus the computers often locked up. She uses her PowerPoint about once every four weeks, and the response from the students is always very positive. Finally, she used the computer at her desk to record students’ grades at the end of class.
The second class I sat in on was a Trigonometry class taught my Ms. W. Throughout the entire class, she made use of the overhead projector. One student used a laptop computer to take notes. Probably the most important tool she used was the graphing calculator adaptor. Graphic calculators (TI-82’s or TI-83’s) are a requirement for Trigonometry, and the adaptor Ms. W. used allowed her to display what she was entering into the calculator to the entire class. I thought this was extremely useful for two reasons. First of all, it allowed students to follow along when she did graphing questions because her calculator had the same functions as students’ calculators. Second, for those who had trouble learning to use these calculators, the overhead projection allowed Ms. W. to explain what she was doing and how she got to each step. She was easily able to go back on her calculator to help struggling students catch up. Lastly, Ms. W. informed me that she often uses the computer at her desk for easy access to lesson plans.
The Earth Science and Trigonometry classes were both exposed to technology during the time I observed and had access to other forms of technology as well. The science class uses the overhead often in class and uses MS PowerPoint on a regular basis. Even though it is not always reliable, the Internet is also at their disposal and provides several educational websites. Ms. W.’s class is exposed to the overhead and graphing calculator projector almost everyday. Additionally, both teachers had access to a personal computer, allowing them to keep records or any other pertinent information. Throughout my visit, I observed effective and regular use of instructional technology in several classes.
Maryland Teacher Technology Standards
|
Outcomes |
Indicators |
Communication
B.
Use
technology to |
1.
Select appropriate 2.
Use productivity tools to
|
Professional
Growth
|
1.
Continually
evaluate and reflect on professional practices and emerging technologies to support student learning. |